This invention relates to a process for producing a palm oil product and to the palm oil product obtainable by the process.
Palm oil is produced on a large scale for use in a number of different applications, including in food. Palm oil is typically obtained from the flesh of the palm fruit (Elaeis guineensis). A palm tree normally produces approximately one fruit bunch, containing as many as 3,000 fruitlets, each month. Each palm tree normally continues producing fruit economically for up to 25 years. This ensures a good supply of palm oil.
Palm oil is usually processed in order to obtain products having specific properties. For example, palm oil may be fractionated to separate the higher melting components, usually referred to as palm stearin, from the lower melting components, usually referred to as palm olein. The composition of the fractions depends on the conditions under which fractionation is carried out.
Fractionation of palm oil is generally carried out by one of three methods i.e., dry fractionation, solvent fractionation and fractionation in the presence of a detergent. In dry fractionation, the stearin is crystallized from the oil in the absence of a solvent using temperature to control the formation of solids as crystals. Solvent fractionation involves the addition of solvents such as acetone to effect the separation of the stearin from the olein.
Fractionation of fats and oils has been reviewed by, for example, Timms in http://www.soci.org/SCI/groups/oil/2006/reports/pdf/Timms_LP.pdf.
GB 1455581 discloses a fat blend. One of the fats that is used in the blend is a palm-based fat obtained by wet fractionation of fat using acetone.
GB 1499333 describes olein-stearin separation of vegetable, animal and fish oils using mixtures of solvents which contain water or a polyhydroxy compound and a polar organic solvent.
GB-A-2023636 relates to a process for producing four edible fractions from a natural fatty substance by solvent fractionation followed by esterification of the resulting fluid fraction and further fractionation.
US 2007/0160739 describes a method of dry fractionation of fats and oils which involves obtaining a first fraction and mixing it with a liquid fat or oil to effect a further fractionation.
Wong Soon, Speciality Fats Versus Cocoa Butter, 1991, page 232 shows a generalized scheme for the fractionation of palm oil which employs a ratio of solvent to oil of 4:1.
DE-A-2747765 discloses a fat with a high content of 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl glycerol, a process for its production and its use.
EP-A-1120455 relates to a fractionated palm oil and a process for its production.
There remains a need for improved fractionation processes. In particular, there is a desire to use less organic solvent in wet fractionation, and to use solvents in which the amount of water is less critical and so need not be completely dried (thereby reducing overall costs), whilst still producing a good product in a relatively high yield.